CasaTunes XLi and XLe Digital Music Servers

CasaTunes today announced the CasaTunes XLi Music Server and CasaTunes XLe Music Server, offering advanced multi-streaming capabilities, including up to five streams of Windows, iTunes, and iPod music as well as Internet radio for the CasaTunes XLi Music Server, and up to nine streams for the CasaTunes XLe Music Server.

Unlike traditional music servers, the CasaTunes XL Music Servers include a hardware based multi-zone switch providing the capability to switch any stream to one or more rooms, with individual volume level and equalization setting adjustments for each room. Using hardware to perform the switching ensures that all rooms, which share the same stream, are perfectly synchronized, with no annoying delays or echoes. The entry-level CasaTunes XLi Music Server version supports six output zones, while the CasaTunes XLe Music Server version supports twelve zones and can be expanded to forty-eight rooms for larger residential, multi-unit dwellings, and commercial projects. The CasaTunes XLe Music Server also includes an input trigger and multiple output triggers that can be used to integrate doorbell, door phones, muting and paging, as well as controlling multi-channel amplifiers and speaker selection.

In addition to the built-in music streaming capabilities, the CasaTunes XL Music Servers can also be paired with external tuners from multiple vendors. Depending on the tuner type and location, support is available for AM/FM/HD/DAB/DAB+/XM and Sirius radio, and displaying tuner meta-data.

All CasaTunes XL Music Servers can be controlled using an easy-to-use browser based interface which currently runs on Internet Explorer, Safari, Firefox, and Opera, as well as from the CasaTunes App for iPhone, a native iPhone and iPod touch application that can be downloaded from the AppStoreSM. Best of all there are no additional license fees that need to be purchased to support these. For another friendly control option, CasaTunes offers its own CasaTunes Keypads. These simple to install and setup keypads, provide full room control, display meta-data associated with the stream that is playing in the room, and enable music browsing and selection.

To complement the interactive control options, CasaTunes music servers also provide a serial (or RS-232) control interface, a command line control interface, and a complete set of web services for OEMs, System Integrators, and Installers to use to fully automate and/or customize CasaTunes.

“We hear from our dealers that customers want to be able to play their PC based music collection throughout their home, and our dealers want a turn key solution that minimizes their setup and deployment time,” said David Krinker, CEO of CasaTools. “Our new line of CasaTunes XL Music Servers are designed to meet these needs, providing solutions with all the hardware and software pre-loaded, configured and ready-to-go.”

The CasaTunes XLi Music Server and CasaTunes XLe Music Server, at only 2.7″ high, ship with a 1TB hard drive and are equipped with an eSata connection, for adding additional hard drive capacity, if needed. Multiple USB connectors can be used for adding the optional CasaTunes Keypads and Keypad Hubs, as well as for USB-to-Serial adapters for controlling the external tuners. Both music servers have additional High Definition 7.1 audio outputs and one digital SPDIF output. These outputs can be used independently from or in conjunction with CasaTunes. The music servers include Windows 7 Home Premium, a DVD/CD drive, a 52 in 1 card reader and include two firewire (IEEE 1394) connectors, DVI, HDMI and VGA video outputs for future expansion.

Both products are immediately available through authorized dealers and from the CasaTools web site.

About CasaTunesCasaTunes designs multi-room audio software and hardware solutions for Microsoft Windows Media Center and networked PC environments, allowing users to control and listen to music throughout the home. Its flagship product line, CasaTunes, is currently available through a network of sales partners. Founded in 2006, CasaTunes is a privately held entity headquartered in Ft. Collins, Colorado with offices in Florida.